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Nine complaints have been filed in recent months against Toronto trustees by fellow trustees — outbursts in which they were targeted, or rants against staff that they witnessed.

Having an integrity commissioner would ease the “big pileup” of such cases and get the board back on track in dealing with the bad behaviour of elected officials, since the current code of conduct isn’t working, Trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher said at a press conference Monday at the board headquarters.

The veteran trustee has drafted a motion, expected to go before the board in April, looking at how to create, and pay for, an integrity commissioner.

The Toronto District School Board has been lurching from crisis to crisis, after one trustee’s confrontation with staff at a recent meeting prompted director of education Donna Quan and three senior staff to write a letter saying the bullying and intimidation was happening too often and needed to stop.

Then, the Star revealed, an outside investigation found that Trustee Elizabeth Moyer harassed two senior educators by touching one inappropriately and making a sexually suggestive comment to another.

“It is abundantly clear we need to act now,” said Cary-Meagher, who was first elected in 1973.

It is not known what prompted the nine complaints currently before the board, or who is accused of improper behaviour.

Cary-Meagher would only say the complaint she filed is in relation to an incident she witnessed.

Trustee Chris Glover said having an integrity commissioner would also mean more transparency, with all complaints and findings published online.

“Right now, there are a number of complaints that are sitting in wait, and to be able to have somebody to do an initial investigation, to be able to give the board some clear direction and move forward in a constructive fashion, would be a huge asset for us,” said board chair Chris Bolton.

However, Trustee Sam Sotiropoulos said there already are rules and processes in place, but no one follows them.

An integrity commissioner “would not make that much of a difference, to be honest, considering the ingrained habits,” he said.

Sotiropoulos said he also doesn’t think current trustees can be trusted to hire an integrity commissioner.

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